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Peach Chamomille Mousse Cakes

June 12, 2009

There are times in your life when you need to pull out all the stops, set up a special table, make an extraordinary tasty meal and just twirl some caramel strands around pretty mousse cakes. When crap hits the fan outside of my comprehension I just try to deal with it the best way I can: doing the things I know, doing them with dedication and focus. Yes, like twirling caramel strands around Peach and Chamomille Mousse Cakes.

Granted, my normalcy may not be yours but we all deal differently with stress and incredible circumstances. You might set out to clean your closet or reorganize your files. B. takes the house on a vaccum marathon. I usually go to the dock, take a huge breath in and go home to try to find some way to reconnect and it always ends up with the kitchen counter covered in sugar and flour. I also forge ahead in the photography and writing projects I have (portfolio is up!) happy not to have a minute to think too much about the telephone ringing. (I did previously established that I had a weird sense of logic, didn't I?!)

I have been quite open here in the past, sharing painful sentiments and emotions, bringing you to share with me the positive in rather difficult moments. But there are circumstances that only a handful of people (if that many) have been made aware of and I wish to keep for ourselves for now. Sorry to tell you that things are not always as they seem without elaborating but not having to formulate yet again things into words here is such a relief.

All day long we make plans, rationalize, explain, and I find peace knowing that I can come here and just hint at stuff and then tell you in the lightest manner possible to go bake a cake because things are prettier all wrapped up in sugar. Thank you for allowing me to do that. Being here with you and sharing what I am passionate about whether it be pastry, baking, photography, ingredients is one of the best part of the day. Thank you.

One thing I am passionate about when Spring comes around is going down to the farmer's market and get all my produce fresh and at ridiculously low prices. Egss, raw milk, vegetables and fruits galore. Happy, happy! I got so excited the other day when I got the first local peaches of the season. Velvet skin, rich colors and intoxicating scent. Happier, happier!With peaches this fresh and juicy in my basket, I could only think about making ice creams and mousse. I wanted to create something soft and subtle, something that makes you want to close your eyes and focus on what it is you are eating and not only just eating it. I made a simple lemon and olive oil cake for the base, opting for a grassy flavored oil to play up with the peaches. The two different mousses start with the same base, a pate a bombe for which I flavored the sugar syrup with a good handful of dried chamomille buds (organic, usually by the bulk teas), and added pureed peaches to half of the mousse base. You can simply refrigerate the cakes until set and enjoy them chilled or freeze them and let them soften a bit for 10-15 minutes. We had them both ways and enjoyed them equally.

Makes four 3-inch cakesNotes: I build these cakes in 3-inch wide entremet or mousse cake rings but you could build one single cake in a 8-inch round or 8x8-inch cake pan. Only the look will be different. Instead of using rhodoid to line the rings, (nothing against it, just did not have any on hand), I used a much less expensive medium: plastic proctector sheets (yes the ones used around the office to protect documents) and cut them to fit the inside of the rings.I did brush the cake base with Limoncello but you can skip this step if you wish.For the lemon olive oil cakes:1 1/2 cups (185gr) all purpose flour1 cup (200gr) sugar1 tablespoon (14gr) baking powder1/4 (1.5gr) teaspoon salt1/2 cup egg whites (about 3-4)3/4 (175ml) cup milk1/4 cup (62.5ml) lemon juicegrated zest of one lemon6 tablespoons (80gr) olive oil

For the caramel decorations, please read here and here. I just twirled the caramel around a large tin can instead of a wooden spoon.

Prepare the cakes:Preheat oven to 300F and position a rack in the center.In a bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients for the cake. Set aside.In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and the milk. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and slowly add in the egg white mixture while stirring with a whisk. Add lemon juice, zest and the olive oil. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean. Let cool and cut out four 3-inch rounds to fit your cake rings (extra cakes freeze well for up to 3 months). Line 4 cake rings with rhodoid or plastic sheets cut to fit and place your cake bases at the bottom. Place the rings on a baking tray and set aside.

Prepare the mousses:In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand while you prepare the pate a bombe.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or hand held beaters), beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Chill it while you prepare the mousse base. Wash your bowl and whisk attachment.In a heavy saucepan, stir together 5 tablespoons of water, sugar and chamomille buds. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Since you are not making caramel, it is ok to stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil and bring the mixture to 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage). Strain the syrup to remove the chamomille over a container with a spout (makes it easier to pour over the egg yolks)In the clean bowl of your mixer, still using the whisk attachment, beat the yolks slightly to break them up. Increase the speed to medium high and slowly pour the hot syrup over the yolks. Go fast enough to prevent the eggs from scrambling but not so fast that you end up with most of the syrup on the wall of the bowl or the whisk. Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave for 10-12 seconds and quickly add it to the pate a bombe. Continue to whip until the mass is completely cold and airy.Fold about one third of the pate a bombe base into the chilled whipped cream to loosen it up and make it easier to incorporate homogeneously. Fold in the remaining pate a bombe.

Assemble: Divide the mixture in half and carefully fold the peach puree into one part. Spoon or pipe the chamomille mousse over the cake base and do the same with the peach mousse. Refrigerate or freeze until set.

Hang in there, my dear. We are behind you. At least, you know *I* am :) You continue to inspire and amaze with your creations, your creativity - even under pressure, under stress. Wish I could pull up a chair and share a cup of tea with you (iced tea for me please) and let you take a load off. Sending hugs from Colorado. You know I'm here for you. xxoo

Those are absolutely gorgeous! I'm very excited about peach season, too. With their fuzz and juicy sweetness they are like a big summertime hug from nature! I hope you can keep that in mind no matter how tough things get. :)

Sorry to hear about your trials, Helen. Frustrates me to feel so helpless. I hope that you pull through the situation.Anyway. Love peach. (I didn't know it was in season already! I just always get 'em from a can, heh) Genius idea to use olive oil cakes for a base!

Whenever I feel unhappy or things are screwed up, I'm right there with you - cover the kitchen in a nice dusting of flour and sugar, and everything just seems 100x better. I hope that whatever is going on improves soon! And I can't believe it's been a year since those snickers macarons - I made them months ago and absolutely loved them!

Cameron and I were just talking about planting more flowering things in our garden, to help encourage more beneficial insects... and I said "how about chamomile?" It's nice to know we have another recipe option now, other than tea. :D

Thank you for sharing with us the beautiful things that you do. Sometimes when things get crazy and terrible, it is of great comfort to do the things that we KNOW and to come to a place where we can have our silence on other matters respected. Whatever things going on in your life, I appreciate all that you do share, and I love your desserts. We are blessed to have you in our day, even if we don't know you.

These look so light and summery. I hope they lift your spirits as much as they did mine! And one of the reasons I love having a personal blog is just what you said: you can drop little hints, colours of emotions, without having to spew about all the sordid details.

helen, so sorry to hear that times are tough. it seems that you have a good network of friends and people that love you, near and far. cling to them in this time, that is what our dearest friends are for!

i'm sorry to hear that you're going through a rough time right now. i don't usually leave comments, but your blog brightens my day and makes the world a better place. may you get the support and the care that you need to get through this time.

Sending positive vibes your way, Helen! I think I bake when I get particularly upset (if I'm not too busy at work, that is) and when I do get down in the dumps, I come to visit you. When I don't have the time to bake, your posts are inspiring and instill creative mojo in me.

Isn't it wonderful how you can have friends miles and worlds away and yet still feel comfort by knowing them and writing for them? I hope that whatever is troubling you right now will pass quickly.I certainly think your mousse looks absolutely divine!

Hang on in there Helen, June is always a tough & emotional month for you. Hat's off to you that you can share your thoughts & emotions so beautifully indeed. What you've done & put in this post is entirely magical & therapeutic...HUGS to you.

This is a wonderful flavor combination and your photos are really stunning... I've always liked how open and descriptive your writing is whether you're talking about your personal life or describing your creations. All of our hearts are with you.

First - warm hugs! They make everything seem surmountable if not melt away. Hopefully the virtual ones will have some effect too! I just finished reading P.S - I love you last night and the author says a cup of tea makes everything better. Obviously you think different:). I am sure that mousse does make things a lot lot better! It exudes optimism!

your beautiful food, pictures, and spirit really enrich and make happy the lives of all your readers. every post is just a delight and you (and all of your very talented readers) inspire me over and over again. so i would like to offer all i can to help by giving you my cyber support and a big cyber hug. with a spirit like yours, i know you can get through anything!

thank you for sharing with us, even when life is full of ups and downs...as i've been stuck for a while in a deep down, i understand the need to let it go and just try to soldier through it. best to you.

I have been a lurker here for awhile, and can only dream of making the gorgeous, mouthwatering creations (and photos!) that you do, but I wanted to take a moment to tell you that just looking at and reading your blog makes me so happy. In its way, it is for my soul equal to what the experience of eating one of your scrumptious desserts would be for my mouth - such a delightful pleasure. I drop in here whenever I need a pick-me-up. (Much less fattening than dropping in to the pastry shop!). Merci beacoup, Helen. Et meilleurs vœux.

You never fail to post an absolutely gorgeous dessert- always an inspiration. I hope our appreciative comments inspire you as well; we all face problems we don't feel comfortable sharing- but I agree heading to the kitchen seems to help.

This is a gorgeous dessert, perfect for springtime! Your recipes are always so inspiring!

I am sorry to hear that you are going through difficult times. I hope everything resolves itself as well as it possibly can. And I admire you for being able to continue to make such beautiful creations and share them here.

Helen, I'm sending you warm thoughts and support to help you through this. You are such a generous soul, even in a stressful time, that I can't help but think that the good Karma you send out will come back to you a thousand fold. Stay strong and know we're all holding good energy for you.

I wish I could give you a big hug Helen as I know your going through a tough time as I have been there myself. I could write a book on heartbreaks. Whenever I get a little down I make it a point to treating myself to something special to break that negative mode. Rest assured you are not alone. You would be amazed at how many people you influence just in your blog. Read the comments.. I for one admire your passion for not only making wonderful creative desserts but also having the ability & skill to make them so desirable with your presentations & photography. Not too many people can make my mouth sing for joy I thank you young lady. I am still trying to figure out how come you are so skinny when you make all these awesome creations. I would have to spend half the day working out if I baked like you. .:o)

Helen: I am one of your lurkers who visit your site often and am truly in awe of your creations. Venting is a good thing and you are allowed. I pray that the ship rights soon for you and you will be able to sail in life on an even keel. Remember, that all things pass and we must learn to look back on these learning experiences - sometimes they even enrich our lives although we don't know it at the time. I also am enjoying the first peaches and they are so very yummy.

Hugs, Helen. Hope things turn better. Shoot me an email if you need someone to vent to or take a load of. You create such beautiful things, I would love nothing better than to tuck into that peach chamomile mousse.

Beautiful inspiring work! (as always . . .) I also like to lose myself in baking when I am finding it hard to deal with whatever is going on in my life. Whatever you are struggling with, I send good wishes your way and hope things get better soon.

I'm impressed that you are capable of producing such a beautiful creation while you are under the stress! You are the star of food bloggers.Congratulations on your photography site! Looks very professional!

Dear Helen, this is the first time I leave a comment, but I just wanted you to know that your blog is my favorite!...It is always full of creativity, inspiration, colors, art, feelings, taste, and love for what you are doing. I wish you all the best and I truly thank you for your offer!...Kisses from Greece.

The kitchen is the best place to deal with stress. You turn a negative into something delicious. I love the spun sugar swirls - it looks like your mousse is wearing a halo. Sending virtual hugs your way.

Helen, I have to apologize for not reading your post fully. I have been insanely busy so have been skimming over most posts. I didn't read your full entry until today and I wanted to send more hugs your way. Whatever you are going through will make you stronger, so hang in there, and find joy in the smallest things in life, like perfectly ripe peaches. That is what helps me when I feel overwhelmed, I go outside and reconnect with nature.

Big hugs to you. Thank you for having such a wonderful way with words, food and photography. Sometimes just knowing that other people are out there thinking of you is all you need. Sometimes it doesn't fix anything, but it's a subtle presence. Hope things improve...

I totally 'get' heading to the kitchen to work out a personal situation. Sometimes when I see a real showstopper over here, I can't help but wonder what you are working through...Thinking of you Helen, and hope that you can learn and grow from your trials.Sending peace your way..xxoAimee

That is just the most beautiful, elegant and enticing dessert.. GORGEOUS!!Love your styling, very simple, yet it looks absolutely divine. Oh how I adore mousse cakes!

Sorry to hear things are not doing so great for you at the moment, hopefully things will improve soon. Baking can be quite a therapeutic outlet when you're down. I know I will surely feel better after eating that gorgeous cake =)

I'm an adoring fan of your food blog. Your obvious passion and talent can be seen in all your beautiful creations like this delicate peach cake. If I could be half as good as you dear Tartelette I would be most pleased! I wish you better days ahead emotionally.

I love the look of these! Just a couple of questions:when do add lemon zest and juice; and 'whisk egg yolks' - how should they look? fluffy? And how high to make the 'protector' ring around molds? thank you so much for the light you bring into so many lives,Malia

Malia: Sorry, I somehow never saw your question. Add the lemon juice with the oil. The egg yolks for the mousse, whisk only to break them up. They can't fluff out on their own (they would need sugar). You just want to break the yolks. The protector should go up to the rim of your rings if they are tall enough, higher if you need more space on top (if your rings are short).

I made these, took them in to work for colleague's birthday, and am a heroine in my own time! they look complicated, but went together beautifully. This is the most beautiful dessert I have ever made! And all the praise I just got at work has stoked my ego for a long time. Thank you!

Made it for my mummy's birthday yesterday and the flavour was wonderful! The mousse itself was very light and different, not too sweet! Except I had a bit of a problem with the base....I cooked it in an 8inch springform pan and it took longer to cook then it says in the recipe, it also turned out thicker than i expected and it was also a bit on the hard side when we ate it. Was it because I mixed too long or was it because it took too long to cook??thanks!

Hi, I was just wondering about the cake measurements. Is it 1 and a half cups all purpose flour or half a cup? It says 185g but then 1 cup of sugar is apparently 200g o.o Sorry, maybe i just managed to get myself confused and the recipe makes complete sense to everyone else =/